a podcast with Margaret Ables and Amy Wilson

Some experts say we’re drowning today’s kids under nightly tsunamis of homework. Others disagree— but one thing’s for sure: our kids have more homework than we did at their age. And more stress. And more “projects,” a word sure to strike terror in any mother’s heart.

In this episode, we take on homework, and discuss

whether kindergarteners should have it in the first place

how to avoid the nightly wailing and gnashing of teeth by setting your household’s “reasonable limits”

whether we’re supposed to help our middle-schoolers with their assignments

whether we are smarter than third graders (spoiler alert: sometimes)

Here’s links to some of the research discussed in this episode:

The National PTA recommends ten minutes of homework per grade: in other words, ten minutes a night for a first grader, an hour for a sixth grader. We heartily agree.